CRUZ PEDREGON / ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM
POMONA ADVANCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2006
Media Contacts:
Allison Holt, JRL Group, (847) 291-7080 x201,
allison@jrlgroup.com
Janie Vogel, JRL Group, (440) 915-7627,
janievogel@yahoo.com
CRUZ PEDREGON
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NITRO FUNNY CAR TEAM
POMONA ADVANCE
EVENT:
NHRA Finals
TRACK NAME / LOCATION:
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
<http://www.autoclubracewaypomona.com/> www.autoclubracewaypomona.com
DATE:
November 10-12, 2006
SERIES:
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Nitro Funny Car Division
CRUZ PEDREGON RACING TEAM MEMBERS
Driver/Owner: Cruz Pedregon
Crew Chief: Ron Douglas
POMONA, Calif. (November 3, 2006) – Cruz Pedregon, the 1992 NHRA Nitro Funny
Car world champion, and his Advance Auto Parts Nitro Funny Car Team are
headed back to the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona next weekend for the NHRA
Finals, the 23rd and last NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event in 2006.
Pedregon currently is holding 10th place in the 2006 NHRA point standings
and is looking forward to another good performance in NHRA's fall visit to
Pomona, creating a solid foundation for a championship run in 2007.
With Southern California’s foothills serving as a dramatic backdrop, the
season concludes where it began nine months earlier with an event
traditionally laced with championship drama and last-chance bids for teams
to accomplish goals for the year. The historic racetrack, which hosted
NHRA’s first official event in 1953, typically enjoys seasonably cool
temperatures that translate into perfect racing conditions and a
spectacular, no-holds-barred battle for the prestigious NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series world championships.
"We tested in Las Vegas this past Monday, and went in a different direction
with our setup trying to find that perfect engine combination that will get
our Advance Auto Parts car back near the top and contending for victories on
Sunday," Pedregon stated. "The results of that test should be helpful not
only in Pomona, but for the '07 season. Pomona is my home track, always has
been and always will be, and we're going to try to go out and try to win
this race. I'll have a lot of my family there with me, like my mom and
sisters, and a bunch of great friends, so it will be great to be able to do
well for them and all of our sponsors. We have had some of our strongest
runs there in previous years, ending up in the semifinals last year, with
Tony (Pedregon, teammate) eventually winning the race. Our team has a real
good shot of finishing in 8th in points if we do well in Pomona, which would
be our best result of last five years, so that is our mission as we look
forward to the race next weekend."
During his rookie season in Funny Car in 1992, Pedregon won the NHRA world
championship. With this accomplishment he became the only racer other than
John Force to win the championship in the 90s. In 1997, Pedregon was also
the first motorsports athlete to receive the “Premio De Oro,” the only
national award for Hispanic athletes. Born into a racing family,
Pedregon’s father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in the 1960s. His
brothers Tony and Frank also compete in the Nitro Funny Car ranks. In 1980,
Cruz won his first official drag race at the age of 15, driving a 1953
Kenworth truck.
How to get to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona: The track is about 35 miles east
of downtown Los Angeles. From Interstate 10 east, exit at Fairplex Drive or
White Avenue and go north to the track. From I-10 west, exit at Fairplex
Drive and go north. The track is about one mile north of the interstate.
Arrow Highway provides access from the north.
The NHRA Finals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona is the last race of the
2006 NHRA POWERade Series season. The 2007 season kicks off with the NHRA
Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on February 9-11.
For more information on Cruz, please go to <http://www.pedregonracing.com/>
www.PedregonRacing.com.
CRUZ PEDREGON RACING STORY ANGLES:
· Cruz, along with brother and co-team owner Tony, has
just opened up a brand new 25,000-square-foot racing shop, located in the
new headquarters for NHRA teams in Brownsburg, Ind. The shop, housing both
teams, was designed specifically to address the unique needs of Cruz
Pedregon Racing, Inc., and Pedregon Racing, LLC (Tony Pedregon), along with
input from Cruz's wife Sharon, Tony's wife Andrea, and all of the crew
chiefs;
· The new Pedregon Racing facility houses the restored
version of the Flamin' Frank Pedregon World's Fastest Coupe (a legendary top
fuel dragster from the 60's with a chopped Fiat body, driven by Cruz and
Tony's father, Frank Sr.);
· A special limited edition set of 1:64 scale Hot Wheels®
models of Cruz and Tony Pedregon's NHRA Nitro Funny Cars are now available
exclusively at Advance Auto Parts stores. These cars will be packaged in a
special Hot Wheels® 2-Pack Collector Car Set (while supplies last);
· Cruz owns a USAC Western States Midget Car Series team,
with current point leader Jerome Rodela behind the wheel. The
Toyota-powered Spike chassis ran for the first time at Ventura (CA) Speedway
on September 30th. The stunning midget car will also be on display in the
Toyota Racing Development (TRD) booth at the upcoming Performance Racing
Industry Trade Show, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando,
Fla., on December 14-16. The midget car will be in competition on Friday,
December 15th in the 2nd Annual Sprint and Midget Classic, a USAC-sanctioned
race held at Orlando Speed World Raceway in conjunction with the massive
industry event, the largest motorsports trade show in the world and the
45th-largest trade show of any kind in North America;
· Cruz has a strong Hispanic following and is fluent in
Spanish.
CRUZ PEDREGON HISTORY AT AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA:
Pedregon won the spring event in 1995; He was top qualifier in the spring
races in 1993, 1994 and 1996, and the fall race in 1998.
2006 RESULTS:
Feb. 9-12 – Pomona:
Qualified: 16th, 4.807; 1st Round: Pedregon 6.432 vs. Force 4.774
Feb. 24-26 – Phoenix:
Qualified: 2nd, 4.717; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.741 vs. Wilkerson 10.109;
2nd Round: Pedregon 4.837 vs. Force 4.792
March 16-19 – Gainesville:
Qualified: 15th, 4.896; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.526 vs. Bazemore 5.706;
2nd Round: Pedregon 4.835 vs. Medlen 4.829
March 31-April 2 – Houston:
Qualified: 10th – 4.821; 1st Round: Pedregon 12.741 vs. Burkhart 4.824
April 6-9 – Las Vegas – WON THIS EVENT:
Qualified: 8th - 4.780; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.871 vs. Head 8.396; 2nd
Round: Pedregon 4.864 vs. Bartone 7.530; 3rd Round: Pedregon 5.314 vs.
Johnson 6.583; Final Round: Pedregon 5.417 vs. Capps 6.474
April 28-30 – Bristol:
Qualified; 14th, 4.861; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.531 vs. Force 4.808
May 5-7 – Atlanta:
Qualified: 7th, 4.747 / 318.24; 1st Round: Pedregon - 4.753 vs. Capps -
4.792; (Pedregon won this contest by .0029 of a second, about 16 inches);
2nd Round: Pedregon 4.809 vs. Hight 4.680 (Pedregon with a near-perfect
light at .001 with a nose-to-nose finish)
May 19-21 – Columbus:
Qualified: 5th, 4.744 / 326.56; 1st Round: Pedregon - 4.972 vs. Worsham –
4.873
May 26-28 – Topeka:
Qualified: 13th – 4.953 / 270.75; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.104 vs. Capps
4.993
June 9-11 – Chicago:
Qualified: 5th – 4.689 / 329.02; 1st Round: Capps 4.935 vs. Pedregon 5.311
June 16-18 – Englishtown:
Qualified: 13th - 4.854 / 314.46; 1st Round: Scelzi 4.929 vs. Pedregon
5.231
June 24-26 – St. Louis:
Qualified: 9th – 4.860 / 315.19; 1st Round: Scelzi 5.021 vs. Pedregon
6.706
July 14-16 – Denver:
Qualified: 16th - 5.177 / 286.32; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.311 vs. Densham
5.344; 2nd Round: Cruz Pedregon 5.588 vs. Tony Pedregon 6.866; Semi-Final
Round: Pedregon 5.610 vs. Gilbertson 5.961; Final Round: Scelzi 5.132 vs.
Pedregon 5.820
July 21-23 – Seattle:
Qualified: 7th – 4.925 / 313.95; 1st Round: Densham 5.019 vs. Pedregon
5.117
July 28-30 - Sonoma:
Qualified: 15th - 4.952 / 292.39; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.982 vs. Medlen
4.885
August 11-13 - Brainerd:
Qualified: 11th - 4.863 / 315.56; Scelzi 4.815 vs. Pedregon 4.812
August 18-21 - Memphis:
Qualified: 4th - 4.887 / 309.63; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.384 vs. Capps 5.058
September 1-4 - Indianapolis:
Qualified: 12th - 4.779 / 325.92; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.800 vs. Medlen
4.748; 2nd Round: Bazemore 5.072 vs. Pedregon DQ-Centerline
September 22-24 - Dallas:
Qualified: 8th - 4.850 / 313.37; 1st Round: Pedregon 5.258 vs. Head 5.406;
2nd Round: Hight 4.837 vs. Pedregon 5.074
September 29-October 1 - Reading:
Qualified: 11th - 4.792 / 308.99; 1st Round: Tony Pedregon 4.781 vs. Cruz
Pedregon 4.903 (red light)
October 13-15 - Richmond:
Qualified: 10th - 4.833 / 307.16; 1st Round: Pedregon 4.841 vs. Johnson
Jr. 4.874; 2nd Round: Pedregon 5.016 vs. Hight 11.709; Semi-Final Round:
Pedregon 4.870 vs. Force 5.680; Final Round: Medlen 4.814 vs. Pedregon
4.873
October 27-29 - Las Vegas 2:
Qualified: 18th - 4.895 / 306.95
FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. John Force, 1520
2. Ron Capps, 1449
3. Robert Hight, 1447
4. Eric Medlen, 1373
5. Tony Pedregon, 1328
6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1269
7. Gary Scelzi, 1172
8. Phil Burkart, 962
9. Whit Bazemore, 956
10. Cruz Pedregon, 946
POMONA WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, November 9
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 2:30 pm PST
FRIDAY, November 10
Nitro Qualifying Session (Funny Car / Top Fuel) – 2:30 pm PST
SATURDAY, November 11
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 12:00 pm PST
Nitro Qualifying Session (Top Fuel / Funny Car) – 3:30 pm PST
SUNDAY, November 12
Final Eliminations – 11:00 am PST
POMONA ESPN2 HD and ESPN2 TELEVISION COVERAGE:
November 11 - Qualifying: 5:00-7:00 pm ET
November 12 - Eliminations: 7:00-10:00 pm ET
November 14 - Repeat Eliminations: 3:00-5:00 am ET
POMONA LIVE AUDIO BROADCAST:
The public-address commentary from the Automobile Club of Southern
California NHRA Finals will be broadcast live over the Internet from
<http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race23/broadcast.html>
http://www.nhra.com/2006/events/race23/broadcast.html. Follow the
wire-to-wire, play-by-play coverage from the final race of the 2006 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series season. NHRA members get exclusive access to
listen live to three days worth of qualifying shows; check in Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday at 11:15 a.m. Eastern. The all-access final
eliminations show – open, as always, to all NHRA.com visitors – begins
Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern.
D R I V E R
C R U Z P E D R E G O N
The B A S I C S . . .
Nickname
"The Cruzer"
Car
Advance Auto Parts Monte Carlo
Birthdate
September 19, 1963
Residence
Santa Rosa Valley, Calif.
Website
<http://www.pedregonracing.com/> www.PedregonRacing.com
Career Wins
TOTAL: 27
FC - 23
TAD - 3
TAFC - 1
Career Final Rounds
TOTAL: 57
FC - 52
TAD - 3
TAFC – 2
Career Best Elapsed Time
4.680 sec.
Career Best Speed
330.80 mph
The B A C K G R O U N D . . .
· 2005: Earned a pair of No. 1 qualifiers (Englishtown and Chicago
2); Set the low E.T. at two events (Englishtown and Chicago 2); Set career
bests for both time and speed; Won at least two rounds at five consecutive
events and six of the first eight events to open the 2005 season; Won
$25,000 bonus for having closest margin of victory in Motel 6 Who Got the
Light award
· 2004: Earned first No. 1 qualifying position (Columbus) since 1998;
Was the runner-up at consecutive events twice (Denver & Seattle;
Indianapolis & Dallas); Established career-best performance numbers;
Qualified No. 11 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history (Pomona 2)
· 2003: Highest finish in the Funny Car standings since 1998; was the
runner-up at Denver and Reading; established career-best time and speed
· 2002: After taking a year off from racing, Pedregon assembled a
team that qualified for 18 national events; Advanced to the semifinals at
Indianapolis
· 2001: Served as color analyst for ESPN’s drag racing coverage
· 2000: Raced part-time as an owner/driver, collecting one win
(Englishtown)
· 1999: Raced part-time as an owner/driver in the Funny Car category
· 1998: Earned the No. 1 qualifying spot a career-best 12 times; Won
NHRA all-star race; Set national elapsed-time record three times; Runner-up
in Funny Car bonus race
· 1997: The first motorsports athlete to received the "Premio De
Oro," the only national award for Hispanic athletes
· 1996: Competing in a limited amount of races, Pedregon won one race
en route to a third-place finish in the NHRA championship point standings;
Finished in the top three for the fifth consecutive season
· 1995: Won at Indianapolis for the third time in four years (1992,
’94-95); Recorded first career four-second run, a 4.991 at Dallas; Broke the
300-mph mark for the first time with a 300.90-mph pass at Indianapolis
· 1994: Was the only Funny Car driver to defeat John Force in a final
round the entire season; Qualified in the top half at 15 of the 18 national
events
· 1992: Won the NHRA Funny Car championship — the only Funny Car
driver other than John Force to win a title in the 1990s
· 1990: Won a career-best six races
· 1991: Raced part-time in Top Fuel competition
· 1990: Moved to Alcohol Funny Car competition
· 1987: Started his NHRA career in Alcohol Dragster
The F U N S T U F F . . .
· Wife: Sharon; Sons: Josh and Gabe
· Height/weight: 6´0", 180 lbs.
· Notable: Won first drag race in 1980 behind wheel of a 1953
Kenworth truck; Raced go-karts in 1986 and was track champion at Ventura
(Calif.) Raceway; Brothers Tony and Frank also compete in NHRA Funny Car
category
· Father, Frank, raced Top Fuel dragsters in 1960s
· Fluent in Spanish, Cruz enjoys working with Hispanic media
· Enjoys doing charitable work with children
· Avid NFL fan, especially of Oakland Raiders. Also enjoys listening
to sports talk radio
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 2006 Schedule
February 9-12 –NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA
February 24-26 – NHRA Nationals, Chandler, AZ
March 16-19 - NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL
March 31-April 2 - NHRA Spring Nationals, Houston, TX
April 6-9 - NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
April 28-30 - NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN
May 4-7 - NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA
May 18-21 – NHRA Nationals, Columbus, OH
May 25-28 - NHRA Summer Nationals, Topeka, KS
June 8-11 – NHRA Nationals, Joliet, IL
June 15-18 - NHRA SuperNationals, Englishtown, NJ
June 23-25 - NHRA Midwest Nationals, Madison, IL
July 14-16 - Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Denver, CO
July 21-23 – NHRA Nationals, Seattle, WA
July 28-30 - Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals, Sonoma, CA
August 10-13 – NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, MN
August 18-20 - Mid-South Nationals, Memphis, TN
August 30-Sept. 4 – NHRA U.S. Nationals, Clermont, IN
September 14-17 - NHRA Nationals, Reading, PA (rained out)
September 21-24 - NHRA Fall Nationals, Ennis, TX
September 29-October 1 - NHRA Nationals, Reading, PA (rescheduled due to
rain)
October 6-8 - Virginia NHRA Nationals, Richmond, VA
October 26-29 - Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
November 9-12 - Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Pomona,
CA
MANY THANKS TO THE ADVANCE AUTO PARTS TEAM
2006 SUPPORTERS
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS – <http://www.advanceautoparts.com/>
www.advanceautoparts.com
QUAKER STATE – <http://www.qpower.com/> www.qpower.com
SNAP-ON – <http://www.snapon.com/> www.snapon.com
GREAT STUFF – <http://www.greatstuff.dow.com/index.htm>
www.greatstuff.dow.com/index.htm
HERZOG – <http://www.herzogcompanies.com/> www.herzogcompanies.com
FETERL – <http://www.feterl.com/> www.feterl.com
SIOUX CITY TRUCK & TRAILER – <http://www.siouxcitykenworth.com/>
www.siouxcitykenworth.com
MR. GASKET COMPANY – <http://www.mrgasket.com/> www.mrgasket.com
MOUNTAIN VIEW CHEVROLET – <http://www.mountainviewchevrolet.com/>
www.mountainviewchevrolet.com
THE PALMS CASINO RESORT – <http://www.palms.com/> www.palms.com
ABOUT ADVANCE AUTO PARTS
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest
automotive aftermarket retailer based on sales and store count. With 3,000
stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the company serves
both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Additional
information about the company, employment opportunities, services, as well
as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found on the company's
web site at <http://www.advanceautoparts.com/> www.advanceautoparts.com.
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